Articulating paint brush

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is an articulatable paint brush which, by compression of the handle members of the paint brush, causes the articulation of the bristle portion of the paint brush to any angle up to approximately 90*. The brush may be used to paint in crevices utilizing the articulation features, or, without employment of the articulation features to paint unobstructed, straight or smooth surfaces. As such a single brush may be used to paint under a variety of conditions where otherwise several brushes of specialized construction would be necessary.

cut [191 Get. 7, 1975 [54] ARTHIULATING PAINT BRUSH 1,900,771 3/1933 Siege] 15/26 x [75] Inventor: Cliff H. Pringle, London, Canada [73] Assignee: Hugh Gerald MacKichan, London, Primary Exammer Edward Roberts Canada [22] Filed: Nov. 26, 1973 5 ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 418,963

Related US. Application Data Disclosed is an articulatable paint brush which, by compression of the handle members of the paint brush, causes the articulation of the bristle portion of the paint brush to any angle up to approximately 90. The brush may be used to paint in crevices utilizing the articulation features, or, without employment of the articulation features to paint unobstructed, straight or smooth surfaces. As such a single brush may be used to paint under a variety of conditions where otherwise several brushes of specialized construction would be necessary.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,909,866

US. mm Oct. 7,1975 Sheet20f2 3,909,866

ARTICULATING PAINT BRUSH This is a continuation L in part application of United States patent application Ser. No. 258,003, filed May .26, 1972, now abandoned. i

This invention relates to a paint brush and more particularly to a freely articulatable paint brush.

An object of the invention is to provide an articulatable paint brush readily articulatable by the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide lever means whereby the articulation of a brush member of the paint brush may be articulated to varying degrees (in relation to the handle) at the will of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide that the lever means may be incorporated and form part of a handle means.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ar- ,ticulatable paint brush having a removable brush member.

The invention therefore achieves an articulatable paint brush comprising:

a. a brush carrying member having a body carrying bristles said brush member and means for connecting said member to first and second a brush pivot means b. two handle members each extending respectively from a handle portion to a free ends with handles pivots means joining the handle members together at a position between the free ends and handle portions;

c. bias means for urging the handle portions respectively away from each other;

d. a lever member including a fulcrum, load, effort and having its effort point located between the fulcrum and load where the fulcrum is pivotly connected to one of said free ends;

e. an effort member pivotly connected between the other of said free ends and the effort point; and,

f. a pair of longitudinal members, one of said longitudinal members pivotly connected between the fulcrum and the first brush pivot means. the other of said members pivotly connected between said load and said second brush pivot means,

whereby the closer relative position of the handle portions causes the effort member to apply an effort to the effort point and hence to pivot the lever about its fulcrum causing relative articulation of the brush member.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the articulatable paint brush with the bristle brush of the embodiment in its normal position (the dotted lines illustrating the handle portion being constrained in closer relationship than its neutral position and the bristle brush hence articulating).

FIG. 2 is a section along lines II-II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section along lines lI1-III of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a section along lines IV-IV of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. ll an articulatable paint brush includes a brush holding plate member 11 with brush holding connection posts 12 projecting through the plate member, and providing socket connection into a bristle brush 14 in the following manner. The bristle brush 14 is provided with sockets 13 adapted to accommodate, in a nesting relationship, the posts 12 (see FIG.

1). Alternatively, the posts 12 may be integral with the bristle brush 14 without materially deviating from the embodiment of the invention. The advantage of having the bristle 14 removable from the posts 12 is to permit easy exchange of the bristle brush 14 from the articulating paint brush 10 as a whole.

The other ends of the post 12 pivot, on pivoting pins, one post on pin 16' and the other on pin 15'. These pivot pins 16 and 15 project through a U shaped flange 16 and 15 respectively, each flange integral to longitudinal members 17'and 24 respectively. The longitudinal member 24 communicates through an adjustable turnbuckle 23 to a shorter length member 25 as will be later explained. This member 25 has its remove end terminating on a pivot pin 22 which is a load point of a lever. The other member 17 has its end pivotly terminating at the fulcrum point of the lever. These pins 20 and 22 respectively pass through ends of a pair of parallel disposed longitudinal lever members 21 as clearly seen in FIG. 3. An effort pivot pin 31 is provided approximately midway along the lever members 21 to provide pivoting connection to one end of an ef fort bar 32, the other end of which pivotly connects to l a pivot pin 29 mounted through one of the free ends of a pair of reversably curving handle members 18 and 33, particularly handle member 33. The fulcrum pin 20 pi-- votly connects the fulcrum of the lever 21 to the other reversably curving handle member 18, at the free end, and the longitudinal member 17. Each of the revejrs ingly curving members have respective handle portions 26 and 34. A pivot pin 19 is disposed between the ban dle portions 26 and 34 and the free ends. The handle portions 26 and 34 are biased away from each other by a coil spring 36.

Normally the paint brush 10 will constrain the bristle brush 14 in its extended position illustrated by FIG. 1. When articulation of the bristle brush 14 is required. a persons hand compresses the handle portions 26 and 34 toward each other, to the dotted position indicated in FIG. 1, whereby the bristle brush 14 articulates to the dotted position 50 in the following manner. Compression of the handle members 26 and 34 causes corresponding shortening of the spaced relationship between the pivot point 29 and fulcrum 20. Hence a force is transferred along effort member 32 to the effort point 31 of the lever 21. This causes the lever 21 to pivot about its fulcrum 20 and to articulate the lever (to initiate lateral movement of the load point 22 toward the bristle brush 14). This lateral movement of the load point 22 moves the rigid member 25, turnbuckle 28, and member 24 laterally relative to (essential static movement of) the other longitudinal member 17, which has one of its ends pivotly connected to the fulcrum 20. The points of freedom at 16 and 15 respectively permit, therefore, arcuate movement of the bristle brush 14 into position 50 and hence articulation. In this articulation there is some small arcuate movement, as well, of the longitudinal member 17 about its fulcrum 20 but this movement has not been shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity.

By relieving pressure on the handle members 26 and 34 the coil spring 36 urges the handle members to their rest position and the bristle brush 14 is articulated back to its extended position, that of FIG. 1.

Relative positioning of the bristle brush 14 in relations to the handle members 18 and 36 may be altered effectively by extending the length of the member 23,

which consists of the three elements, member 26, tumbuckle 28 and member 25. This achieves an altered dis tance between the load pivot point 22 and the bristle brush pivot point 16'. To accommodate this, members 24 and 25 have their ends threaded as at 26 and 27 and the turnbuckle 28 engages these threads. Hence, simply by rotating the turnbuckle 28, the effective length of the member 23 is increased or decreased and hence the relative rest position of the bristle brush is changed.

I claim:

1. An articulatable paint brush comprising:

a. a brush carrying member having bristles and means for connecting said brush carrying member to first and second brush pivot means;

b. two handle members each extending respectively from a handle portion to a free end with handle pivot means joining the handle members together at a position between the free ends and said handle portions;

c. bias means for urging the handle portions respectively away from each other;

d. a lever member including a fulcrum, load point and effort point having its effort point located between the fulcrum and said load point, the fulcrum pivotly connected to one of said free ends;

e. an effort member pivotly connected between the other of said free ends and the effort point;

f. a pair of longitudinal members, one of said longitudinal members pivotly connected between the fulcrum and the first brush pivot means, the other of said longitudinal members pivotly connected between said load point and said second brush pivot means.

2. The articulatable paint brush as claimed in claim 1 including means for altering the effective length between the load point and one of said brush pivot means. 

1. An articulatable paint brush comprising: a. a brush carrying member having bristles and means for connecting said brush carrying member to first and second brush pivot means; b. two handle members each extending respectively from a handle portion to a free end with handle pivot means joining the handle members together at a position between the free ends and said handle portions; c. bias means for urging the handle portions respectively away from each other; d. a lever member including a fulcrum, load point and effort point having its effort point located between the fulcrum and said load point, the fulcrum pivotly connected to one of said free ends; e. an effort member pivotly connected between the other of said free ends and the effort point; f. a pair of longitudinal members, one of said longitudinal members pivotly connected between the fulcrum and the first brush pivot means, the other of said longitudinal members pivotly connected between said load point and said second brush pivot means whereby closer relative position of the handle portion causes the effort member to apply an effort to the effort point and hence to pivot the lever about its fulcrum causing relative articulation of the brush member.
 2. The articulatable paint brush as claimed in claim 1 including means for altering the effective length between the load point and one of said brush pivot means. 